Story 00: GW Episode Zero: Johan Rodriguez
by Turles
Summary: This is before Operation Meteor began. All of the Gundam Pilots have an Episode Zero, this one is made especially for one that is in my stories.
1. The Mission

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Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Gundam Wing, Endless Waltz, or Episode Zero. All Copyrights belong to their respective owners. 

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Reader's **Note:** This is a re-post. 

Gundam Wing Episode Zero: 

Johan Peacecraft Rodriguez

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Part 1: The Mission

"We all have our beginning, an _episode zero_ I think one would call it. How many of you have your own episode zero?"

Johan Peacecraft Rodriguez

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Gundam Wing & Sailor Moon: X Pi

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Name: Johan Peacecraft Rodriguez

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DOB: September 18, AC 178

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Place of Birth: Colony L-7

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Ethnicity: Half Spanish & Half British

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Talents: Music, Martial Arts, Painting, and Piloting

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Occupation: Gundam Pilot

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G 

Year: A.C. 192

Johan brushed away the sweat from his brow as he made his way through the cramped ventilation system. He looked down the long shaft with his green eyes and felt his own skin rubbing against the cold metal while at the same time feeling the air blow past him like a gale. He still kept pushing onward for what was at the end of this shaft would be the goal of this mission.

Johan felt his shortly cut hair begin to be blown slightly by the gale that was going past him. He felt the aggravation of what it feels like to be trapped, but he kept on moving through that confined and cramped space. Even though he started through the crawl space a few minutes ago it felt like he was in there for a year. 

"Relativity." A teacher once told Johan, "When you're with a beautiful woman, a day can seem like a second and when you're bored a second can seem like a day. It's all relative."

Johan kept pressing when he saw the wire mesh at the end of the shaft. He pressed on harder and harder to get to the end, feeling all the objects in his pockets poke and prod him. He felt his own elbows against his sides, his sweat feeling like water in a shower, and still he kept going.

He came to the wire mesh and shoved it out, it came down with a vibrating crash as Johan crawled his way out of the shaft.

"I thought I was going to suffocate in there." Johan said to himself, he brushed his hands through his shortly cut hair getting rid of all the excess sweat.

"I think you will suffocate when facing me." A voice from behind said

Johan spun around and found a kid of twelve and dressed in a Chinese white robe. He looked at Johan with deep brown eyes while his black hair was swept back. 

"It's been a while Johan." He said

"I know, Wufei. I have been training like you."

Wufei scoffed, "I don't practice martial arts these days."

Johan stood speechless he couldn't think of a thing to say, until he decided to try to get this mission over with. The room he was in was filled with control panels, like a data bank. This was the top of the mountain the goal that Johan was trying to achieve. He stepped over to one of the consoles.

Wufei placed a firm grip on Johan's shoulder, "I know what you're here for." He said, "I'm here to try and stop you from taking it." 

"I wouldn't call it taking." Johan said, "I call it borrowing." 

He reached up to Wufei's grip and grabbed his wrist and flung the Chinese warrior over his shoulder. 

The fight began, Wufei got back up to his feet taking off his white rob to show his blue tank-top underneath it. He made the first move, he dashed at Johan with a punch to the face, Johan dodged, then a kick to the side, but Johan caught it. He held onto Wufei's ankle and shoved him onto his back. 

Wufei threw him self back onto his feet at he made another assault at Johan. This time he jumped up towards the ceiling and tried a flying kick from there, but it was no use. Johan jumped up towards Wufei, he took his legs and clamped them onto Wufei's left wrists. Then took the crook of his left arm and clamped Wufei's right wrist. He had one hand free and made his punch to Wufei's stomach as they tumbled to the steel floor below. 

Wufei was now out of breath, he gasped for it as Johan got up and typed frantically through the computer while Wufei was trying to regain his strength. He found what he was looking for, he saw the plans for the Gundam that was to be built here at this colony (colony L-5). While he was looking it over, he listened to Wufei slowly regain his breath, while Johan saw something else on the screen. Other sets of plans for this same Gundam, the first Gundam had only one Dragon Fist where the arm extends outwards, the second had Dragon Fists on Both Arms, and the third had Dragon Fists on both arms but the extended farther outward then the last two. 

Johan reached into his pocket for a blank disk, he marked it before he came to the colony. He marked it "L-5", he shoved into the slot as it was being copied, he watched the progress bar growing longer and longer while Wufei was just a few breaths away from regaining his strength. 

Johan spun around to look at the struggling Wufei as the files were being copied, he kept looking back and forth to see which one would be done first. Wufei, the screen, Wufei, the screen, and this cycle kept going back and forth. Until Johan looked back and saw that the task was done, he reached down and took out the disk and shoved into his pocket. He spun around and saw Wufei back on his feet blocking his only way of escape, the ventilation shaft. 

"If you want out Johan," Wufei held his fists up, "you'll have to go through me." 

Johan smiled, "You still resent the fact that I've been accepted as part of the Long clan?"

"Yes, no one other than our family blood should be allowed to train under Master Long." 

"Very well, then."

Johan charged at Wufei and shoved his fist into his stomach, Wufei landed on his side once again gasping for air. 

"Expect no mercy." Johan said as he climbed into the ventilation shaft.

Wufei laughed a little bit still trying to regain his strength.

"He's more like me than I am." Wufei thought.

****

G 

A few hours later, Johan was inside of Colony L-4, which was a colony belonging to the Winner family. Johan could feel the dust coming from the nearby resource satellite that the colony was attached to. Then again the Winner family did become this rich by investing themselves in space resources, even though they never invested in mobile suits. At least not that they know of, this was the next one that Johan was after. The Gundam, known as Sandrock. He looked from the control room out into the mobile suit construction area. He saw the suit there, it was barely finished with pieces still missing from it and thankfully there's no one around to see if Johan was there to catch him, or so he thought.

"You there?" a voice called from behind him,

"Oh damn," Johan thought, "I have to get better at sneaking in." 

He spun around taking out his twelve inch knife and pointing it at whoever was there, the lights came on and Johan saw this short pudgy man with this thin mustache and a unusual smile. Johan looked at him with his knife out ready to attack him, because if anyone is going to be in his way he's willing to kill.

"Are you with Oz?" The man asked, "You look like you have the hair for it."

"Who are you?" Johan asked with the knife still out

"I am, Instructor H. Who are you?"

"That doesn't matter."

Instructor H shrugged, "You're here for the plans for the Sandrock aren't you?"

Johan didn't answer as Instructor H moved towards the console, he only said, "Don't make me kill you."

"You won't need to." The Instructor smiled, "I'm handing the plans over to you."

"Why?" Johan sneered, "Give me one good reason to trust you."

"I can't give you one, but I have a good reason to trust you with these plans. My reason is that I can see that you are the kind of boy who can be a Gundam pilot. So please, take these copied plans, I also entrust you with the plan for the most dangerous mobile suit ever conceived; the Wing Zero."

Johan looked at the instructors' face as it seemed to melt from its abnormal smile to a distressed expression of fear and anxiety.

"Wing Zero?"

"Yes, I would advise you not to use it only keep it." The instructor pulled out a disk from the console and handed it to Johan, "Take them, Gundam pilot."

Johan had let down his knife only for a moment as he took the disk nimbly from the instructors' hand. 

"May God be with you." Instructor H said as Johan dashed out of the control room.

"What was that all about?" Johan thought

He never dwelled on it, but he felt that if there was such a suit that could be that dangerous then it would be best to leave it achieved on the disk and never to be touched. He proceeded to the next colony, Colony L-3 for the plans for a Gundam that will be known as Heavyarms, which wasn't a bad mobile suit in Johan's opinion. He looked at the nearly complete mobile suit, at first it didn't seem like much until Johan saw it's gattling for an arm. 

"Now I know why they'll call this thing, Heavyarms." 

He took the plans and escaped to the next colony, Colony L-2, he made his way through the colony interior down into the Gundam plant. Through the darkness he looked to find the place that would hold the plans. Eventually after treading through the darkness he found the control room and took all the plans for the Colony L-2 mobile suit. 

While he went in search for it he found another mobile suit, it looked like a combination of Darth Vader and the Grim Reaper himself. This is the Gundam DeathScythe. 

"I wonder what kind of psycho would pilot this thing." Johan wondered, 

Suddenly, Johan felt a sharp edge pressing against his throat and a cocky voice whispered, "Who the hell are you."

Johan's eyes were now accustomed to the darkness of this mobile suit hangar. He knew where he was standing and that he was in a clear space to fight. He reached up for the knife and grabbed the wrist and threw whoever it was over his shoulder. In the darkness Johan saw a boy with a long braid going down his back. The boy got to his feet, Johan saw the knife in the boys hand. He came at his with full force with the knife out and ready to stab Johan wherever it landed. 

Johan could only rely on his other senses, it was too dark to fight using his eyes. He heard the steps stampeding towards him, he did see the knife in the little light that there was in the mobile suit bay. He waited like a praying mantis waiting for it's prey, the boy came within range of Johan and he drew out his knife and held it to the boys throat as he felt the cold sharp edge against his throat.

"I'm really in the habit of getting into these kinds of situations." Johan thought

He suddenly heard a slight laugh, "What's your name, buddy?" The boy asked

"My name is unimportant."

"Well, in that case I should tell you that I am known as the God of Death."

"We might meet again, God of Death." Johan said, "But I don't think you'll know me, but I'll know you." 

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G 

Johan finally made his way into the last Colony for the plans, Colony L-1. This was it the last of them all, soon he'll be able to go back home to Colony L-7 and create his own Gundam. He walked through and on into the mobile suit bay. At first when he got to the mobile suit bay, he only saw darkness, like the last step of the mission at Colon L-2. Yet, Johan didn't know it he was being watched. A pair of Prussian blue eyes was watching him in the darkness; they watched him make his way to the control room of the mobile suit bay.

They watched as Johan took the plans for the Wing Gundam, they saw him copy the files and place the disk into his fat pocket that had the plans for the other Gundams. The pair of eyes looked to the light switched and the owner of those eyes reached out to turn the lights on.

"Freeze." The voice behind the Prussian blue eyes called to Johan

Johan turned around to look at the owner of the voice, he stood within the square steel room looking at a boy of 13 years pointing a gun at him. The boy had that pair of Prussian blue eyes and had brown hair that tapered down over his eyes in thick bangs. Johan went to his knife and held it out at the boy. 

"You know you're an idiot to bring a knife to a gun fight." The boy said

"I don't like to use guns." Johan stated, "I think that it takes away the honor in fighting."

"There's honor in fighting, but this is a time of war and in war honor has to be dropped in facing the enemy. If your enemy has a bigger and better weapon then you have to get a bigger weapon. It's basic tactics of war."

The boy looked at Johan's green eyes and suddenly realized something; "You're a Gundam Pilot aren't you?"

"In training, but how could you tell?"

"It's something that a Gundam pilot can sense in another." 

"Now that you've discovered me, aren't you going to kill me?"

The boy still held his gun at Johan.

"You're really going to kill me aren't you?" Johan asked his eyes with open with fear looking down the barrel of the gun.

"If that's what you want me to do." 

"I can't let you do that," Johan refuted, "I have too much to do."

The boy let his gun to his side, "I'll let you go this time." He said, "But don't cross my path again, or I'll kill you." 

"Mission accepted." Johan stated as he left the square steel room with the plans in his pocket. He thought back to that boy and about the things he said, "There's no honor in war, then I'll have to refine my tactics and use the gun more often if I want to survive. I like that guy." Johan felt his hair as he made his way back to his ship to Colony L-7. 

"I think," He thought, "That I should have my hair longer, like that kids, even though I don't even know his damn name. If we do meet, I'll be better and I'll show him the power that I'll harness."

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To be continued…

Author's Notes: A while after I wrote "X Pi", I had heard of this comic book series where it tells the pasts and stories of each Gundam pilot. I thought that if they can have a past then Johan damn sure better have one. It took me a while to think of a past for him but eventually I had thought of one. Especially when it came to the contact with the other pilots. Such as, as you've read, Johan's hair was much shorter when he was younger. At least until he met Heero Yuy, after his fight with him Johan gained so much respect for Heero that he decided to grow out his hair like Heero's. 

Come back again for the next chapter of_ Episode Zero_


	2. B.O.M. Before Operation Meteor

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Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Gundam Wing, Endless Waltz, or Episode Zero. All Copyrights belong to their respective owners. 

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Reader's **Note:** This is a re-post. 

Gundam Wing Episode Zero: 

Johan Peacecraft Rodriguez

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Part 2: B.O.M. Before Operation Meteor

Year: A.C. 195

"Alright Johan." Kenda began, "Let's go through it once more."

Johan sat at the black baby grand piano with his hands above the black and white keys. He raised them like a professional pianist commanding silence from the audience. His hands came back down onto the keys and began to play Fur Elise. He played the first few bars of the sheet music set up in front of him. He played with the precision that's been taught to him in his years as a piano student.

Soon he was reading to a stop point in the middle of the bridge of Fur Elise, the stop point was marked by a pencil line that came through the left and right cleft bars. Johan played up to that point and stopped, he took his hands back and rested them on the piano stool.

"Very nice." Kenda complemented

"Yeah." Johan smiled, "I've been working on the peddling and it seems to make the music flow a little nicer."

"That's something I haven't noticed until you brought it up."

Johan smiled again with his smile that seemed to glisten like ice on a lake in the early morning of winter. 

"But," Johan began, "I'm still having a little trouble with the bridge of this song."

"Well," Kenda explained, "You're not exactly advanced enough to play that part of it. But don't worry, one day you will."

"I'm already advanced enough to play Adagio Cantabile."

"True, but the Cantabile is a little slower than Fur Elise so there's a little more time to think about where to go from each point. Although Fur Elise required a certain amount of speed in order to play the middle part."

"It's a bit hard to believe," Johan pondered out loud, "that Beethoven wrote this piece for his niece. She must have been extremely advanced for this one."

"She was." Kenda smiled and asked, "By the way, how are you doing with the violin?"

Johan sat at the black stool for the piano, "I'm getting good, but as you told me the violin is one of those instruments where it's wonderful to listen to but it's a pain to learn." 

"Isn't your birthday coming up?" Kenda asked

Johan got up and gathered up his sheet music and books and stuffed them into his canvas bag that was colored green. He was about to leave his lesson since it was already finished. 

"That's right." Johan said

"How old will you be?" Kenda asked as Johan sat down on one of the couched near the piano.

The room that they were in was the music room of Kenda's home on Colony L-7. The outside of the house was much like any kind of good house in a rural suburban area, a lawn, a backyard, a one-car garage, and a few trees. Last of all was the black piano that could be seen from the sidewalk through the window of this one floor and basement home.

Johan sat on the couch in the music room and thought about how old he would turn on his birthday. It would be on September 18, which would be about a few days from the present moment. 

"I will be 17 on the 18th." Johan stated

"You're really growing up aren't you Johan?" 

"I guess so." Johan smiled

"Well, keep working on the beginning part of Fur Elise and make it a little smoother. And also keep working on the exercises."

"I will." Johan smiled as he walked out the door and to the sidewalk and began to walk home with his canvas bag swaying back and forth. As he walked out onto the sidewalk he looked up at the sky or at least the ceiling of the colony and watching the artificial clouds in the sky.

"I wish I could see the sky and the clouds on Earth." He thought

He told Kenda his piano teacher that he was walking home, but he was actually walking to his training studio. The training studio was a place that Johan would go to everyday to train himself physically. He had already mastered martial arts from Master Long, who would come to Colony L-4 to check on Johan's progression. Johan had begun training in the martial arts ever since he could walk. 

But in his induction to the martial arts Master Long had asked Johan to grow a ponytail. Because most of Master Long's clan had a ponytail, But Johan respectfully refused and Master Long understood and continued to train him in the martial arts. Now all that Johan needed was to perfect his skills, as well as some more of his other skills like escaping, acrobatics, piloting, and computer skill. All this was to add up to his training to be a Gundam Pilot. 

The training studio was hidden from the citizens of the colony. Not even Johan's piano teacher Kenda knew about its existence nor did she know that he's a Gundam in training. Only those involved in Operation Meteor knew about this place. 

Johan went up to the steel wall of the colony. He came to this same point along the wall in which a small red rose bush was planted along the line of other colored rose bushes. The wall was away from the city within the colony, to make sure that no one would find it.

Johan looked left and right to make sure no one was around. No one was around. He reached his hand behind the rose bush being careful as a gardener not to be pricked by the thorns. And his hand felt a round button; he knew what to do next. He pushed it in and a doorway on the surface of the wall began to open.

Johan looked from left to right again and behind him to make absolutely sure that no one was there or watching. And there was none. He walked into the pitch-blackness within the doorway. When he looked over his shoulder all he saw was the rectangular shape of light in the darkness and the door closed. 

When the door closed the lights came on, and what Johan saw was what he saw every time he came here. A large gymnasium like atmosphere with mats, training equipment and practice weapons of all kinds. 

In the center of all of this was Master Long along with a member of his clan that was dressed in white with a think ponytail down to his waist. 

"Shall we begin, Johan?" Master Long asked

"Yes." Johan answered setting his canvas bag aside.

True though he had mastered martial arts and his training as a Gundam pilot was nearly complete but his skills still needed to be maintained. And this is why Master Long visits this colony.

Johan walked out onto the mat and took his shoes off like being in a fight of some underground club with the rules being no shirts and no shoes. Johan took his fighting stance while his opponent did the same thing and Master Long went to the sidelines to watch and judge Johan's skill. 

Johan looked at his opponent in the eyes as if staring him down. 

"Begin!" Master Long commanded. 

The fight began in it's own way, a stand off between the anonymous fighting partner and Johan himself. Each of them at either sides of the mat looking at each other waiting like praying mantis for the other to make their move. 

The fighting partner made his move; he dashed across the mat against Johan. But Johan crouched down and then as his fighting partner came at him, Johan leaped into the air. It was like a trapeze artist swinging from handle to handle. Johan flipped in mid air and came back down on the mat. The partner spun around to find Johan behind him and he dashed and made his attack while Johan blocked each of his attacks. Other attacks he dogged them until at one point when the partners fist flew over Johan's head, Johan landed his fist into the partners abdomen. The partner coughed and landed on his back grasping his stomach in pain. 

The partner fell over on the mat and Johan stood above him and was about to bring his foot down on the partner's chest. That is until Master Long called out.

"That's enough!" he called

Johan stopped and bowed to his partner and to Master Long.

"Walk with me, Johan." Master Long asked

Johan didn't say a word; he walked along with Master Long through this hidden compound within the colony. 

"You fight well, Johan." Master Long complemented, "But there is something that you need if you wish to be a member of our clan."

"What is that, Master Long?" Johan asked

"Mercy. The ones that you will fight are not necessarily evil, Johan. But rather they are the result of evil. Although you have something that a protégé student of mine doesn't have."  
"What is that?"

"Integrity." 

"Integrity, Master Long?"

"Yes, you are true to yourself, you believe in yourself, you won't lie to yourself, and I know that you won't betray yourself to anyone or anything."

"I do hope so Master Long, if I am going to pilot this Gundam Dragon."

Master Long bowed his head, "Remember to come back and keep your skills sharp as a knife Johan."

"I understand Master Long." Johan bowed as he went back to the wall where his canvas bag lay.

****

G 

On his way back home he stopped by the University, which was Colony L-7 University (an obvious though not too clever of a name). And sitting on the grassy hill between the Student Union Building and the Classroom building was Johan's bride to be Amara. Amara Yumi, she was lying down in the grass reading a copy of St. Augustine's "Confessions". It was a book of philosophy in which it talked about the relationship between man's free will and the nature of time. 

Johan walked up to Amara and lay down next to her.

"You've been training hard again haven't you?" Amara asked with a lingering smiled from under the book.

"How can you tell?"  
"You smell like it." Amara laughed

Johan began to develop a very displeased look on his face at the insult but then he smiled knowing Amara's sense of humor. Because he remembered that same day when he met her in spilling his morning orange juice all over her. It wasn't exactly the most ideal way to meet someone but that's how this turned out. Even when Johan helped her clean up by offering his home for her to help. After she did get cleaned up he did try to offer her a drink, he went through a list in his head. 

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Tea? He had asked

No. She said

Coffee? He suggested

No. She said again

Orange Juice?

Her face looked at him in confusion and it hit Johan directly.

Perhaps not. He said 

It was this meeting that brought him and Amara together and that is how these two are lying on this lawn under the artificial light and clouds of Colony L-7. 

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G 

After this small part of the day spent with Amara, Johan thought that he should go by the mobile suit production to see how the Gundam is coming along. He went to the same place where he entered to make that small sparing session with Master Long and one of his students. 

But this time Johan walked past the training area and he went through the maze of catwalks within the colony to where the Gundam was being made. And Johan came to it, he began to smell that same motor oil odor mixed with the sweat of dozens of workers and technicians. 

He walked up to it, the Gundam Dragon. It was nearly complete; on some parts it was hollow to show the inner wires and Gundanium beams of the Gundam. But it's face, Johan looked, the face was complete. It's green shinning eyes seemed almost alive in the fluorescent lighting, even though it wasn't turned on inside. 

As Johan looked up at this Gundanium statue he heard a voice. 

"Johan." The voice called

Johan looked and saw Paul Ian, the technician foreman. He came down the catwalk to Johan while looking up at the Gundam. 

"What do you think of it?" Paul asked

"It's a real beauty." Johan complemented

"Hey, it has to be." Paul shrugged while wiping the grease on his hands with a small handkerchief he had in his oil stained white jumpsuit, "You're the one who drew up the plans."

Johan thought back and remembered the training mission that was set up, he went from colony to colony and stole the plans of the other Gundams that were involved in Operation Meteor. Even though there was no sixth scientist, and there were no rebel citizens' on Colony L-7. But there was a Peacecraft family member, and that was Johan's mother. At the time that she had died so many years ago, Johan's mother asked her only son to go to Earth and someday rebuild his heritage, the Sank Kingdom. That was when his father introduced him to Operation Meteor. 

Johan's father, Han Rodriguez, found out that there were rebel citizens on the other colonies and they were planning to upraise against the Earth Sphere Alliance. Along with that they were also building superior mobile suits called Gundams. So, using some connections, H. Rodriguez brought the best technicians together to build a Gundam. All that was needed was the plans, and that was Johan's job, to steal them. Johan was only 10 years old at the time.

Johan thought about these things when he looked into the lifeless face of the Gundam.

"Right Paul." He said

Paul looked back up at it and admired it and he explained what needed to be done, "We just need to fix up the few holes in it. Then we'll work on the cockpit and last of all you're beam gattling. That's the last thing that needs to be done."

"How long do you think it'll take to finish it?" Johan asked still looking at the Gundam

"About a few more days." Paul answered and whistled at it, "Boy, I'd love to pilot this thing."

"I'm not sure if you can take the stress of it."

"Why do you say that?"

"The way this thing is designed, for someone like you to pilot it you'd probably suffer heart failure from the G-forces as well as G-lock. But don't take it the wrong way Paul."

Johan walked over and laid his hand on his shoulder, "You're one hell of a technician. And that's what's helped me make this Gundam."

"Thank you, Johan." Paul smiled, "Well, I'll get back to work." 

****

G 

September 18;

Johan stirred in his bed, it was early morning at his home. The artificial light of the colony came through his window and his face began to bask in the glow of it. But that was not the thing that woke him up. The thing that woke him up was a smell; it was the smell of breakfast. Eggs cooking in butter, the sweet hickory smell of bacon in its own fat. And last of all, coffee the sweet aroma of coffee. It could remind someone of some kind of Folgers Coffee Commercial where people wake up with bright smiling beautiful faces just by the smell of this company's coffee. 

To Johan however, it didn't matter which company made it, it was just the coffee itself that he liked. He rose out of bed and rubbed his eyes and looked out the window of his second floor room to see the quaint houses in his neighborhood. He had forgotten that it was his birthday, but he was thinking that it wouldn't be too long until Operation Meteor would begin. 

Johan rose out of bed still in his pajama's and he came downstairs to where the smell of breakfast was even thicker than from his own room. And there he saw his dad making breakfast, Han Rodriguez (whose ethnicity was Spanish), Johan's father was a tall man with short black hair and brown eyes. His skin was remarkably dark, a shade of tan that could only be obtained if one were either of Spanish origin or stayed in the sun a great deal of time. Han was always a big breakfast person, even though Johan wasn't exactly a breakfast person. Han would usually say that he gets that from his mother along with Johan's eyes. 

Johan walked into the room and the first thing that his dad said to him was, "Happy Birthday, Johan. How old are you? 21?"

Johan smiled while scratching his head, "I'm 17."

"Damn." Han smiled, "that mean's I'm going to have to cancel the keg and the strippers."

Johan laughed, it was a great way to start his birthday since he would be starting Operation Meteor soon. 

Johan looked and saw the eggs, bacon and sausage cooking, "You didn't have to do that dad." Johan said, "You know that I usually cook."

Han smiled a smile that was like Santa Clause without his beard, "Hey, it's your birthday Johan. You know what they say all work and no plays makes you a dull boy."

"Yeah." Johan agreed as he sat down at the small dining table near the kitchen, "I have been working a lot trying to prepare my missions for Operation Meteor."

"You can't work too hard." Han said, "If you work you're whole life you won't have time to live."

It was a profound thought to Johan; then again his dad was full of those kind of profound thoughts. 

"Right, dad." Johan smiled 

Han came over with two plates, both of them with good servings of Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, and Bacon. It was one of those breakfast meals that would make you full just looking at it. But that wasn't exactly it, Han also came back with two mugs of coffee and a couple of glasses of orange juice.

"Oh my." Johan said softly looking at the small feast of a breakfast laid before him.

Han and Johan sat down at the table together. As they ate Han was about to tell Johan something.

"Johan." Han began

"Yeah dad?" Johan said

"You know, your mother asked me to promise her not to give this to you until you're old enough to fit into it." 

"What's that?" Johan asked wondering what it could be. He already knows that he's a descendant of the Peacecraft monarchy, but what else would he need or need to know?

Han left the table and he was gone for a few minutes. And while he was gone, Johan slowly ate his Birthday breakfast. And then his father came back with a black garment bag over his shoulder. 

"This is what your mother wanted me to give to you when you were older." Han explained as he lifted the garment bag and unzipped it. 

Johan rose from his seat and went to his dad and looked into a bag. He saw a coat, a black, green and gold jacket. It looked to Johan like something that a French Aristocrat would wear. Below it he could see a little of the black pants that would go with this.

"This Johan." Han explained, "Is a uniform that is worn by those of the Sank Kingdom. And this is yours. Your mother made it before she died. She guess on what you would be like when you were old enough for it. So, here try it on."

Johan took the bag and went to the other room and took off his pajamas and took out the garments from the bag. He slipped on the pants, the undershirt, the vest, the overcoat, the cummerbund and the ascot. And he came back and he looked at his dad and he had to ask him.

"How do I look dad?" He asked

"You look like…" Han paused, "The right man for the Sank Kingdom."

"But dad." Johan said mournfully as he sat down, "Something has occurred to me, wouldn't be a bit wrong of me to be the ruler of the Sank Kingdom since I'll be a Gundam Pilot?"

"Sometimes Johan, you must fight for a belief even if it means going above what you know."

Johan began to look puzzled, "What do you mean dad?"

Han smiled that same beardless Santa Clause smile; "You'll know when the time comes, my son. Happy Birthday, Johan Peacecraft Rodriguez."

Han outstretched his hands and Johan walked into them and the two of them hugged, father and son. 

"I'm proud of you my son. You're truly blessed. Let me tell you something, it's a jungle out there, you gotta look out for number one." He paused again and it came, "But don't step in number two."

Johan giggled and laughed, it's something that his father would do a lot. But even though there is this warmth and comfort it feels as though something was missing, gaps in his heart that wants to be filled. It's his mother, without his mother the couple of parents was missing. Although hat didn't matter at the moment because Johan didn't feel alone with his father as well as his fiancé, Amara Yumi. Loneliness is the thing that he fears the most. 

But he would have to endure being lonely and being on his own if he were to be a Gundam Pilot. Otherwise he may as well renounce the suit and give up all hopes of restoring the Sank Kingdom. Then he would have to face something worse than anything, letting down his mothers dying wish. That is something he can not allow. 

**_To be continued…_**

Author's Notes: This is where I wanted to show a little bit of Johan's family or at least what he knew on his home colony before he embarked on Operation Meteor. I did model Johan's father a little bit out of my own imagination, I always imagined Johan's father to be someone who was wise yet fun loving. Plus this is the calm before the storm that is to hit Johan like nothing else. 

Come back again for the conclusion of_ Episode Zero_


	3. It Begins

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Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Gundam Wing, Endless Waltz, or Episode Zero. All Copyrights belong to their respective owners. 

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Reader's **Note:** This is a re-post. 

Gundam Wing Episode Zero: 

Johan Peacecraft Rodriguez

****

Part 3: It Begins

"Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything."

Chuck Palahniuk, _Fight Club_

Johan was walking down the street along with Amara Yuki at his side. The place that they were in was one of those residential areas where people were walking by but not too many. The two of them walked hand in hand like the lovers that they were. The day seemed so perfect, even though they were still in this controlled environment. The artificial clouds hung over head under the steel ceiling that was of unknown height to either Johan or Amara. Johan knew that soon he would leave this place and go to Earth. Even though he never went to Earth he knew that he had to go there for Operation Meteor. So this last look at the artificial clouds within the colony would be the last time he would see them for who knows how long.

Amara looked at him and saw him looking up to the ceiling. 

"What is it Johan?" she asked

"I was just thinking that this would be the last time I would see this place. That if I don't come back."

Amara hugged Johan tightly, "Don't talk like that Johan. I want you to come back."

Amara did know that Johan is a Gundam Pilot in training, but it didn't bother her because she too lost her parents to the Alliance military. Meaning that they were killed in a massacre when she was younger. Now she was with Johan.

"Would you like to see the Gundam?" Johan asked

"Sure." Amara smiled

The two of them walked hand in hand. They were heading in that direction but somewhere in that general direction Johan stopped.

"What is it, Johan?" Amara asked

Johan tried to think of what was bothering him. He knew that he needed to do something before he needed to head to Earth. What was it? He thought that he had everything that he needed, his dad went to Earth and set up an account in case Johan needed lodging anywhere or anything like that. He had his clothes, supplies and his motorcycle in the storage area in the Gundam itself. What else could he need to do? He thought about the people he needed to tell about this, then it hit him; Kenda his piano teacher.

"I have to say my good-bye's to Kenda, my teacher." Johan explained

"You're going to tell her that you're going to Earth?" Amara asked hugging onto his arm

"I am going to tell her I'm going to Earth, but not as a pilot. I'll think of something when we get there."

He walked through the residential area; he was going through any kind of cover-up he could think of. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her, but being a Gundam Pilot in this time and place isn't exactly the kind of thing one should broadcast to everyone. He thought of the explanation as he walked slightly faster than a stroll to his teachers' house. 

He came to the house and looked through the window from the street to find that same baby grand piano where he learned how to play Fur Elise. He went up to the door and rang the doorbell. He waited with Amara, if anyone asked him he would probably say that he was a little bit worried what would have if anyone else found out that he was a Gundam Pilot. He is fighting for the people of the colonies even though not many know about it. 

Kenda opened the door, "Johan." She smiled, "How have you been? But you're here a bit early your lesson isn't for a few days."

Johan looked at her with a concerned face, "Kenda, I'm going to leave for Earth."

"Why is that?" 

Johan had thought about this cover-up, "I'm going to visit some family down on Earth."

"When will you be back."

"I'm not too sure, it'll be a while."

Kenda smiled, "Alright, but there's something I should tell you."

"What's that?" Johan asked curiously

"I've been reviewing your skills and I think that you're experienced enough to be your own piano player." She looked as if she had announced the end of something that Johan had known ever since he was a boy. "I know this may come as a shock to you, but you've been taking lessons for nearly ten years, and in that time you've acquired the technical skills to play. Now all you need is to play for others as well as yourself."

"I understand, Kenda."

"Hey," She smiled, "Don't be sad, you can come by and play anytime."

"Thank you."

Kenda closed the door and Johan felt relieved that this cover was as good as he had hoped, even though to him it didn't exactly hold water, but never the less it worked. Yet, Johan felt as if he had lost a part of his own life, a part of his own childhood. Something that was always there and now it wasn't there anymore because time had passed and Johan knew that he couldn't go back. 

Johan and Amara headed toward the garage where the Gundam would be hidden. So they made sure that no one was following them as if they were being spied upon. Johan looked over his shoulder more often than Amara. But there wasn't anyone behind them. 

Eventually Johan came up to the gray wall and he touched that same spot to open the door. The door opened and they quickly stepped inside like a rabbit going back into its hole. And the door closed behind them while the lights came on. But what greeted Johan's eyes made him think that he was hallucinating or dreaming. 

He saw his father, Han Rodriguez lying face down on the mat with a small puddle of blood on the polyester fabric. 

Johan quickly went up to the body and turned his father over. Behind careful not to get the blood on his clothes or hands. He saw that his father was shot through the left side of his abdomen. Johan knelt by his right side and held him in his arms.. 

"Dad!" He shouted, "Wake up, please."

Han's eyes began to open and slowly looked up at his own son, "Johan." He said dryly

"Please, Dad. Save your strength, we'll get you to a hospital."

"It's to late for me Johan." Han coughed, "They found us."

"You mean the Mariemea Army? The ones behind Operation Meteor?"  
"Yes," Han coughed again, "They don't plan to send the Gundams to Earth. They plan to drop the colony onto Earth."

Johan's eyes widened with fear when he realized the implications of that kind of foolish action, "Drop the colony?" he asked, "That's crazy."

"I know." Han breathed, "You have to go to Earth."

"But why were you killed? I'm the pilot."

"They thought that I was the pilot. They're here on the colony now; they're searching for the Gundam. It's in the launch bay, disguised as a passenger ship called Hope. Don't worry, it's taken care of, but take it, Johan. Go to Earth…" Han life began to fade

"No dad." Johan cried with the tears trickling down his face, "Save your strength. You'll live."

"Bring down the Alliance… Johan." Han began to cough up blood, "Bring down OZ and Romafeller. For your mothers sake and mine, and for the sake of the Sank Kingdom… Fight… and win…" 

Han's body began to feel loose to Johan as he held him. Han had died in Johan's arms.

"No!" Johan cried, "No! NO!" He shouted as he cried holding his fathers' head to his chest. As he cried and held his fathers' head, Johan began to feel a sense of injustice. He knew that he would face the Mariemea Army some day and when he does he himself will kill Mariemea himself. He dreamt of the day when he would slice that little girl's head from her shoulders. But he also knew that as a Peacecraft, revenge was no answer for this, it would simply continue the string of revenge.

There was only one thing to do now. Begin Operation Meteor.

****

G 

Johan stood at the security area. This was part of the plan for Operation Meteor, they would disguise the Gundam Dragon as a small passenger shuttle and Johan would take it to Earth. The way it was disguised would pass any kind of inspection. So all Johan had to do was present his ID, passport and so on before going into the shuttle bay and heading for Earth. 

Johan stood at the gates to the shuttle bay and he looked at Amara with sad eyes. He wanted to take her to Earth, but it would be too dangerous to involve her into Operation Meteor. He had already lost his father to the Mariemea Army, he didn't want to loose Amara to anyone else. 

"This is good-bye, Amara." Johan whispered

Amara once again threw her arms around her and began to softly weep, "Don't say that. But I want you to make me a promise Johan."

"Anything Amara."

"Come back to me alive."

Johan looked into Amara's eyes, "I will," He said, "And when I come back we shall be married. I promise you that."

Johan and Amara's lips touched and they kissed, it was like a scene from some kind of romance novel where the main hero was leaving the leading lady on his crusade. And in a way Johan was, his crusade was to bring down the oppression of the Alliance. He had seen others before him suffer, he once heard about the Maxwell Church Massacre that was caused by the Alliance. He heard there had been a great deal of children who died in that massacre and it was this kind of injustice that flamed in him. He wanted, no, he needed to stop the Alliance. 

He held Amara tightly wishing that he wouldn't have to let go. But he broke the embrace and whispered to Amara, "Good-bye Amara."

He turned around and walked out the gate while his white trench coat was blowing from the quick passing through the gate. 

He came into the cargo bay with that same smell of motor oil, steel and sweat. Then he saw it, his Gundam Dragon in bird mode. At least that's what he knew but from the outside he saw the white exterior and fins that were like that of a passenger ship. The only thing that gave it away to Johan's eyes was the red buster shield on the nose.

He did feel a little uncomfortable going in this ship, but he needed to. But the next question that he had on his mind was _how the hell am I going to get in_? Then he looked on the underside of this ship where the landing gear was he saw the blue door that lead into the mobile suit hang open. While leading up to it was a stair ladder up to the cockpit where the blue door hung open. 

Johan walked to it and there he found a brown environmental suit. He knew that he could wear his regular clothes under it. But his trench coat he couldn't, he took it off while he stepped into the environmental suit. He zipped it up while he put on the helmet. 

He climbed into the cockpit and strapped himself into the cockpit. He saw a few people take away the ladder while he closed the cockpit door. He was amazed that no one was asking questions of what he was doing or the peculiarities of this ship. He figured that maybe the technicians escaped and where helping him. Either that or maybe all the little details had been taken care of and all he needed to do was launch.

But he began to punch up all his missions that he needed to accomplish. And he called to the tower.

"Control Tower this is Passenger Ship Hope, request docking clearance."

"Passenger Ship Hope." Johan heard, "You are cleared."

Johan started up the engines and he looked at the 30-inch screen and saw himself move through the garage past all the other ships to a narrow launch hall. When he reached the hall he accelerated to full throttle and he felt the G-Force pushing him into his seat and he came out into space. 

His course was directed to the Earth. This is it; he's on his own. He already felt lonely because of this, not just because he was going to Earth by himself but both of his parents were dead. First his mother now his father. He couldn't help but feel the mourning in his heart as he held the controls.

_Keep your hands soft and your mind clear_. Master Long once told him

"Keep my hands soft and my mind clear." Johan said as he piloted through space. 

Then it came into view, the Earth. It hung in like a gem in the vast darkness of space. 

"It looks like a blue marble from out here." Johan whispered, he could hear his own breathing in this environmental suit, "It's so beautiful from out here."

The Earth was coming closer in view. 

"Beginning Operation Meteor. Mission to destroy the Alliance, Oz and the Romafeller Foundation. Mission accepted. Beginning Descent." Johan stated as he piloted the shuttle towards Earth.

**_This is where it begins…_ **

Author's Notes: I wanted to follow the formula that all the Gundam Pilots are orphans. I thought that it would be a little bit odd if a Gundam pilot were to live and still have a blood parent with him. In this, I've shown the promises that Johan made before he went to Earth to start Operation Meteor. That is how it began, and the rest is history. 

I hope you've enjoyed this story of mine as well as the others I've had. Come back again for more. 


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